Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Spicy Citrus Basil Margarita

     

    Summer is fast approaching and we here at the Oaks Bed and Breakfast in Sulphur Springs, Texas are counting down the days until Summer Vacation becomes a reality.  Until then we are whipping up some delicious and spicy Margaritas to enjoy on the back porch.  We happened to be hosting a party last week and the signature cocktail they wanted to serve was a spicy Margarita so I figured why not make that our cocktail of the month.  

    I will say when making your simple syrup the longer you can let it set the stronger the spice level will be in your drink.  I made mine and used it right away after it cooled a bit so it took a little time to build up on the spice level.  Depending on how spicy you want your drink to be might determine how long you let your simple syrup sit.  I would even go so far as to store my jalapeno and basil in the syrup overnight to really get the flavors into the syrup.   

    Since we made these with fresh squeezed lemons and limes there is a little bit of prep work that goes into getting ready for this drink.  The salt on your rim can be another place to add a little kick to your drink.  Find the premade salt or make your own to your desired salty and spicy taste. 

    This amount of ingredients made two drinks, so be sure to have  friend or a really big cup to enjoy your Spicy Citrus Basil Margarita.

Spicy Citrus Basil Margarita

2 Lemons, squeezed

3 limes, squeezed

2 ounces Tequila

1 ounce Jalapeno/Basil Simple Syrup

Pour everything into an ice filled shaker cup.  Shake well to combine, and pour over a salt rimmed glass filled with ice.  Garnish with lemon or lime slices, basil and jalapeno slices. This drink makes enough for two glasses, or one generously proportioned glass.

    We hope that you will try and love our Spicy Citrus Basil Margarita. You can add and remove items as you wish, but these are nice and tangy with the citrus as well as a late spiciness at the back of the drink.  As always please drink responsibly and have a designated driver.  Cheers!

    

NET Choral Society ~ I See the Light

Each spring, for the first weekend in May the Northeast Texas Choral Society puts together a concert for everyone in the whole family.   The director and board work hard over the summer months during their “off season,” to make music selections that will draw in the audience and bring about emotions beyond enjoyment.  They have worked hard to create a show that is more than just a traditional choir concert but a real form of entertainment for everyone to enjoy.  This weekend NET Choral Society will be hosting their Spring concert at the Sulphur Springs High School Auditorium on Saturday, May 4 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m.

 This year’s concert is titled “I saw the Light.”  A mixture of music that draws on the themes of light and hope.  The concert includes beautiful arrangements of American sacred, spiritual, and gospel music.   Many of the pieces will be familiar to many in the audience, but with varying arrangements that the choral members cannot wait to sing for you.  Director Carol Allen stated that her favorite piece is going to be “O Love” by Elaine Hagenberg.  The “expressive, moving, human emotional side of love is shared” in this beautiful rendition of an classic hymn, titled “O Love That Would Not Let Me Go.”

 Carol Allen has been the director for the past twenty-six years and is even more excited about this group of singers than ever before. Each member works hard and is committed to the success of the group.  There are around eighty core members and the remaining members ebb and flow as the years go by, and she tries to hold membership steady between 85-100 singers.  The group has experienced it all over the years, with in their membership and many feel as though they have created a second family within the group.  If you want to join and experience this group for yourself, auditions will be held again in August. 

 

Until then the Northeast Texas Choral Society has a great program ready for your enjoyment and is set to have two shows this Saturday and Sunday.  They want to encourage you to bring the whole family.  Children are welcome to attend the performance and they hope to one day fill the auditorium and have no empty seats.  They strive to have a community that supports the arts of all kinds and to start that love from a young age.  Children under five years old are free of charge, and then 6-12 years old are $5, adults and older children are $15 each.  Veterans and first responders are welcome and encouraged to attend the concert for free, as a thank you for your service.  Tickets can be purchased from Alliance Bank and City National bank as well as from their website www.singerscount.org. 

 Each concert production cost around $35,000 to produce, and it takes multiple people to make each one happen.  Sound personnel are hired to produce the best sounding music for the whole audience.  Musicians are hired to play accompaniment with the choir for the evening.  Of course, one of the largest expenses is the music.  With a large library from years of productions, the board tries to make selections from ones they group already owns when selecting the music for the next concert.  The choices are made with the whole audience in mind to bring enjoyment for the young and old.  Your support with a purchase of a ticket helps to make each concert even better. 

 

I hope that you will choose to attend this year’s concert and listen to this wonderful show and production put on by your friends and neighbors from Sulphur Springs and the surrounding counties.  The concert will feature soloists and enjoyable music filled with hope and love.    

Your Garden ~ Hugelkultur

It is never too late to start a garden.  One of the fastest and easiest ways to get started is by using the Hügelkultur” (pronounced hyoo-gul-kulture).  A German method of creating garden beds using mounds or in our case filling raised beds.  Of course, you can always just sow your seeds or plants directly into the ground, but by using other organic material to “feed” your crops, from the start, the garden of your dreams is easier to grow with a little help from nature.

       

       

To get started, you need to decide if you are going to mound, or fill raised beds.  Determine your area of growth and then bring in your organic material.  If you are starting out in a new area and have to remove any plants in the way, the organic material you remove can be used to start the base of your mounds or fill in the bottom of your raised beds.  We also like to add a layer of cardboard to the bottom of our beds for added weed protection until our plants take control.

              

Once you have your cardboard down, now is the time to layer in the larger branches or wood pieces to the bottom of your mound or raised bed. These larger pieces of organic material will slowly break down over time and allow a slow release of nutrients into your soil, and create a natural sponge.  The older your wood pieces the faster they will break down and quicker they will “feed” your plants and absorb water.  The decomposition of this material will also heat your bed, which could extend your growing season naturally.

 

Next you can put the next layer into place, which can be dirt or grass from the area you selected to place your new garden bed.  If you use grass that still has roots, place the grass root side up on the logs at the bottom.  This organic layer is going to be packed tightly.  So, whatever you use to place here, stuff it in and add some more. 

 

The next layer will have more wood.  Add smaller piece of wood on top of the organic layer and pack it in tightly.  You can make this layer as high as you want if you are choosing to mound your garden.  If you are using a raised bed keep it below the top level, since it will take time to break down.

 

Water your layers well at this point and add in any organic material to fill in the cracks in the layers.  The addition of water at this point, will help to start the decomposition of the layers below.  We do not wait for this layer to sprout mushrooms before adding our topsoil, but that is a common practice.  We add our topsoil right way after adding water. 

 

After heavily watering the mound or raised bed, go ahead and add in your topsoil.  This product is where you will be planting your garden.  No matter if you are using food or flowers, the end product will be coming out of this top layer.  The best option is to let the mound settle for the off season and plant in the new year.  If you create your bed in the fall, let it settle over winter and then plant in the spring.  I will admit there have been a few beds that we planted right away.  No one way is right or wrong, just standard practice, of waiting after being built.

 

This is one of our favorite ways to start a new garden bed.  In the end it uses less water because the wood at the bottom become like a sponge and waters your garden naturally.  The material does break down over time so the mound or bed will “shrink” as time goes by.  In the end the beak down is worth the cost savings from water retention and natural nutrients going back into your garden. Any shrinkage from decomposition can be replaced with homemade compost to keep your garden healthy and thriving. 

 

Around Town ~ The Plant Niche, Earth Day

 

“Around Town” this month I stopped in to chat with Erika at the Plant Niche, in downtown Sulphur Springs.  The Plant Niche is tucked away at 222 Tomlinson Street.  Her hours are from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 p.m. – 7 p.m. on Saturday.  This single mom is working hard for her family and has come up with some very innovative ideas to help our community and homes become greener.

 

               Not only does the Plant Niche offer classes, but you can also stop in to purchase your favorite house plant.  If you are not sure about your green thumb, put Erika’s green thumb to work and have her schedule a time to care for your indoor plants, at your home or office.  Fresh plants are so healthy for the home or office environment, cleansing the air, and providing natural color and sustainability from within.  Her plant care services can make the difference in your home and allow you to house plants that you might not have thought to care for at home. So many people think about the outside appearance of homes and forget to place plants in the home. Let Erika help you decide what plants would fit your lifestyle.

 

               One of her latest collaborations is with the Sulphur Springs Public Library, where she has been offering classes for free to the public.  Her latest class was filled to capacity with guests making fresh, live terrariums to take home and enjoy.  Space fills quickly so if you want to join in the plant fun, be sure to check out the Library’s website for more information.

 

               What we really wanted to discuss together was her upcoming event on the Square, to celebrate Earth Day.  This year’s Earth Day Celebration will be held in conjunction with the Spring Market on Main, April 20^th.  Visitors can come and enjoy learning more about the environment and how they can help make a difference by creating a greener living space.  This celebration is free to the public and there will be food vendors, live music, speakers and you guessed it, plants. Be sure to head on down to Celebration Plaza in Downtown Sulphur Springs this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  There will be something for everyone to enjoy and experience.

 

               While you explore downtown, be sure to hop on over to the Plant Niche, just pass through the Courtyard from Main street and enter her shop on the other side.  You won’t want to leave any plants behind. 

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Strawberry Mojito

 

 

               As the temperature starts to creep up in Texas, our herb infused cocktail for April is the perfect drink for sipping and enjoying together.  This month’s cocktail of the month, from The Oaks Bed and Breakfast is a Strawberry Mojito.  Our mint is looking amazing already this Spring and we wanted to take advantage of its bounty early.

               Simple in flavor and ingredients, this drink will be a crowd pleaser for sure.  Unless you are allergic to strawberries, be sure to put this drink on your must make list. If you are allergic change out with watermelon or blackberries.  This strawberry mojito is easy to scale up for larger groups to enjoy together.  If you have friends who do not drink alcohol, leave out the rum and finish off with sparkling water. 

Ingredients

 

3 fresh strawberries, diced

10-15 fresh mint leaves

½ medium lime, juiced about 1 tablespoon

1 ounce simple syrup

2 ounces of white Rum

Ice

Sparkling Water

 

Combine strawberries, mint, lime, and simple syrup into a glass and muddle the group together.  Stir in Rum.  Fill glass with ice, and then top with sparkling water.  Garnish with mint leaves, limes, and a fresh strawberry.

 

               While this is just a single serving for this drink, it can easily be made in a pitcher for friends to enjoy.  I just love how the mint really comes out in this drink when muddled well with the strawberries. The lime adds just the right amount of tart, to balance out the sweetness of the simple syrup. 

 

Mocktail version, sparkling water only.

               Let us know what you think and be sure to share your photos with us when you make one of The Oaks Bed and Breakfast, herb infused cocktails. As always please drink responsibly and have a designated driver.  Cheers!

 

Travel ~ Rochester, Minnesota

 

               Recently my husband and I had a chance to attend the wedding of one of his cousins, in Rochester, Minnesota.  We were excited to get away to somewhere different and have a little break from the daily grind.  Ironically, the weekend we were there, they happened to have a snowstorm.  This past winter has been pretty mild, without a lot of snow or bad weather.  That being said, we did not get out and do very much, beyond taking in the food. 

               While we were staying there, we rented a house, that caters a little more towards people who happen to be in town for the  Mayo Clinic but we needed a spot that could host multiple family members, so we could visit and chat outside of a hotel room.  The house location was convenient and efficient for our needs.  I would always recommend a larger space for bigger groups, since a bed and breakfast is not always an option.  The closest one for our trip was thirty minutes away and we wanted to be closer to the wedding venue, maybe next time.

               We were able to try a variety of food options while we were there and explore downtown just a bit.  I think a summer visit would have been nice, that way we could have taken a wine or brewery tour on the trolley.  Or made our way through the sculpture garden, but that was a little too chilly for our tastes this time around.

               While in Rochester we found and tried a vegan donut.  I know what you are thinking, that had to taste like cardboard, but really it was actually pretty good.  Light and fluffy for a cake donut and had great flavor.  If you did not know you were ordering a vegan donut you would have thought the batter was just a little different from a standard cake donut and munched it down.

               Of course, we had to find the local coffee shop and we found a couple that had some great lattes and cappuccinos.  Coffee is one of our favorite ways to start out in a new city, and these did not disappoint.  Lunch was in order and Thai food was on the list. This restaurant had so many plants inside that it made you think you were staying in a tropical forest instead of the “frozen North.”  Plus, the food was great.  Just the right amount of spice and fantastic flavor.

               The highlight of the trip was of course the wedding.  Held in a venue that was once an old hay barn owned by one of the Mayo brothers, the space was creatively used and looked beautiful.  We enjoyed seeing family that we do not usually get to see very often and danced the night away with the couple and their friends.  It’s always fun to see how other companies cater and serve food, in order to gather new ideas.

               No matter how long or short a trip might be, we always try to find the best in each adventure.  This one was no different.  We were excited to celebrate the newlyweds and explore somewhere new.  Our favorite restaurant stop was the Forager Brewery and café.  It’s too bad we did not have more time to visit, we would have loved to have explored their craft beer options and their lunch or dinner menu.  Next time!  Where will your next adventure take you?

Around Town ~ Market on Main

 

            Downtown Sulphur Springs, Texas has so many great shopping options for everyone on your list or in your family.  One of the newer spots to hit up is The Market on Main.  Located at 213 Main Street, this unique shop is full of gift ideas and shopping fun.  Not only can you experience freeze dried candy, but clothing, kitchen items and so much more.  The Market on Main is home to not just one vendor but over seventeen (17) women owned stores.  They are open Tuesday thru Saturday from 10 – 6 and have plans to extend Friday and Saturday hours during the summer days.

               Not only can you shop while you visit the Market on Main, it is also home to Masterpiece Ultrasound, were you can view your baby in 4D.  The sweet baby faces can be viewed from 6 weeks to 36 weeks, with 30-32 weeks being the ideal time to view the best “chubby face” images while on the inside.

               Bring the whole family to see those baby faces and then pick out the best baby or mom gift while in the shop.  The Market on Main has something for everyone.  Recently the shop has changed hands and welcomed a new owner.  They are currently at capacity for vendors but you can always put your name on a list if you are not yet ready to take the plunge into a full shop of your own. 

               Let your creativity flow when you stop by the Market on Main and find many local, handcrafted gifts among those curated by the ladies who each create their space for the goods that they display.  Along with the small shops a local photographer hosts mini sessions on site and currently has a Spring or Easter display ready to capture images of your cute little bunnies heading into the Spring season.

               The Market on Main brings together women from all over Hopkins County who would otherwise might not be able to share their goods with the public in such a way as a physical store front. While some might have an online presence this shopping experience brings out a wider audience to their unique brand and products.

               While shopping next time downtown, be sure to stop by the Market on Main to find something worth taking home or gifting to a friend.  Do not forget about baby, they offer adorable Easter outfits for your little ones.  Share with us your wonderful finds from the Market on Main and keep your support and shopping local.